A few points. Al D'Amato represented New York for almost 20 years. Santorum has represented Pennsylvania for 12. Many swing states can and do elect Republicans who could but in some cases don't act as conservatives. eg. Both senators from Maine are RINOs, but they would get reelected even if they were more conservative.
"but forget a true down-the-line conservative from these Blue States."
The exceptions, like Santorum, we should take extra effort to keep!
It is distressingly hard to dislodge some very bad liberal senators from blue states, but the solution is not running weak candidates just because they are mods. Conservatives often run better campaigns that energize based voters because they run sharper campaigns. A candidate that runs a forthright campaign on issues like taxes and spending and national security and family can indeed win even in the northeast. The trick is winning the swing vote without depressing the base.
The WRONG answer is to assume a wimpy moderate position is the answer. It's also the wrong answer to come out as a right-winger that will get pegged in a way to lose the the swing vote.
The RIGHT answer is to run the kind of campaign that Norm Coleman ran, where he both won swing voters and got the cosnrvative base energized. It's not easy but it is doable with the right, energetic candidates... mainstream conservatives can be winning candidates, even in New York.
Pirro is a disheartening disaster. We need SOMEONE good on the top of the ticket in New York in 2006 (Governor or Senator) or the Democrats will take back the State Senate. The first act of an all-Democrat legislator with a Democrat governor: a $4 billion tax hike to fund the Campaign for Equity lawsuit to dump more money into NYC schools.
Great answer!
C'mon right up here to NY, locate that candidate, and run that winning campaign you're describing! I'll be happy to help!
As of now, I'd be more than excited about RINO Pirro defeating Hitlery even if she ended up voting like Collins.